Compare Bahrain (2004) - Moldova (2003)

Compare Bahrain (2004) z Moldova (2003)

	Bahrain (2004)	Moldova (2003)

Administrative divisions	12 municipalities (manatiq, singular - mintaqah); Al Hadd, Al Manamah, Al Mintaqah al Gharbiyah, Al Mintaqah al Wusta, Al Mintaqah ash Shamaliyah, Al Muharraq, Ar Rifa' wa al Mintaqah al Janubiyah, Jidd Hafs, Madinat Hamad, Madinat 'Isa, Juzur Hawar, Sitrah note: all municipalities administered from Manama	9 counties (judetele, singular - judetul), 1 municipality* (municipiul), 1 autonomous territorial unit (unitate teritoriala autonoma), and 1 territorial unit* (unitate teritoriala); Balti, Cahul, Chisinau, Chisinau, Edinet, Gagauzia, Lapusna, Orhei, Soroca, Stinga Nistrului**, Tighina, Ungheni
Age structure	0-14 years: 28.4% (male 97,179; female 95,043) 15-64 years: 68.4% (male 271,015; female 192,342) 65 years and over: 3.3% (male 11,426; female 10,881) (2004 est.)	0-14 years: 21.1% (male 477,063; female 459,992) 15-64 years: 68.7% (male 1,465,248; female 1,584,402) 65 years and over: 10.2% (male 168,068; female 284,729) (2003 est.)
Agriculture - products	fruit, vegetables; poultry, dairy products; shrimp, fish	vegetables, fruits, wine, grain, sugar beets, sunflower seed, tobacco; beef, milk
Airports	4 (2003 est.)	36 (2002)
Airports - with paved runways	total: 3 over 3,047 m: 2 1524 to 2437 m: 1 (2004 est.)	total: 8 over 3,047 m: 1 2,438 to 3,047 m: 2 1,524 to 2,437 m: 3 under 914 m: 2 (2002)
Airports - with unpaved runways	total: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2004 est.)	total: 28 2,438 to 3,047 m: 3 1,524 to 2,437 m: 2 914 to 1,523 m: 11 under 914 m: 12 (2002)
Area	total: 665 sq km land: 665 sq km water: 0 sq km	total: 33,843 sq km land: 33,371 sq km water: 472 sq km
Area - comparative	3.5 times the size of Washington, DC	slightly larger than Maryland
Background	Bahrain's small size and central location among Persian Gulf countries require it to play a delicate balancing act in foreign affairs among its larger neighbors. Facing declining oil reserves, Bahrain has turned to petroleum processing and refining and has transformed itself into an international banking center. The new amir, installed in 1999, has pushed economic and political reforms and has worked to improve relations with the Shi'a community. In February 2001, Bahraini voters approved a referendum on the National Action Charter - the centerpiece of the amir's political liberalization program. In February 2002, Amir HAMAD bin Isa Al Khalifa proclaimed himself king. In October 2002, Bahrainis elected members of the lower house of Bahrain's reconstituted bicameral legislature, the National Assembly.	Formerly ruled by Romania, Moldova became part of the Soviet Union at the close of World War II. Although independent from the USSR since 1991, Russian forces have remained on Moldovan territory east of the Dniester River supporting the Slavic majority population, mostly Ukrainians and Russians, who have proclaimed a "Transnistria" republic. One of the poorest nations in Europe, Moldova became the first former Soviet state to elect a Communist as its president in 2001.
Birth rate	18.54 births/1,000 population (2004 est.)	14.31 births/1,000 population (2003 est.)
Budget	revenues: $2.981 billion expenditures: $3.019 billion, including capital expenditures of $700 million (2003 est.)	revenues: $536 million expenditures: $594 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (1998 est.)
Capital	Manama	Chisinau
Climate	arid; mild, pleasant winters; very hot, humid summers	moderate winters, warm summers
Coastline	161 km	0 km (landlocked)
Constitution	adopted late December 2000; Bahrani voters approved on 13-14 February 2001 a referendum on legislative changes (revised constitution calls for a partially elected legislature, a constitutional monarchy, and an independent judiciary)	new constitution adopted 28 July 1994; replaces old Soviet constitution of 1979
Country name	conventional long form: Kingdom of Bahrain conventional short form: Bahrain local long form: Mamlakat al Bahrayn local short form: Al Bahrayn former: Dilmun	conventional long form: Republic of Moldova conventional short form: Moldova local long form: Republica Moldova local short form: none former: Soviet Socialist Republic of Moldova; Moldavia
Currency	Bahraini dinar (BHD)	Moldovan leu (MDL)
Death rate	4.03 deaths/1,000 population (2004 est.)	12.7 deaths/1,000 population (2003 est.)
Debt - external	$4.682 billion (2003)	$1.3 billion (2002)
Diplomatic representation from the US	chief of mission: Ambassador William T. MONROE embassy: Building #979, Road 3119 (next to Al-Ahli Sports Club), Block 331, Zinj District, Manama mailing address: American Embassy Manama, PSC 451, FPO AE 09834-5100; international mail: American Embassy, Box 26431, Manama telephone: [973] 1724-2700 FAX: [973] 1725-6242 (consular)	chief of mission: Ambassador Pamela Hyde SMITH embassy: 103 Alexei Mateevici Street, Chisinau MD-2009 mailing address: use embassy street address telephone: [373] (2) 23-37-72 FAX: [373] (2) 23-30-44
Diplomatic representation in the US	chief of mission: Ambassador KHALIFA bin ALI bin Rashid Al Khalifa chancery: 3502 International Drive NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 342-1111 FAX: [1] (202) 362-2192 consulate(s) general: New York	chief of mission: Ambassador Mihail MANOLI chancery: 2101 S Street NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 667-1130 FAX: [1] (202) 667-1204
Disputes - international	none	difficulties with the Transnistria region complicate border crossing and customs with Ukraine, facilitating smuggling, arms transfers, and other illegal activities
Economic aid - recipient	$150 million; note - $50 million annually since 1992 from each of Saudi Arabia, UAE, and Kuwait (2002)	$100 million (2000)
Economy - overview	In well-to-do Bahrain, petroleum production and refining account for about 60% of export receipts, 60% of government revenues, and 30% of GDP. With its highly developed communication and transport facilities, Bahrain is home to numerous multinational firms with business in the Gulf. Bahrain is dependent on Saudi Arabia for oil granted as aid. A large share of exports consist of petroleum products made from refining imported crude. Construction proceeds on several major industrial projects. Unemployment, especially among the young, and the depletion of oil and underground water resources are major long-term economic problems.	Moldova remains a very poor country despite recent progress from its small economic base. It enjoys a favorable climate and good farmland but has no major mineral deposits. As a result, the economy depends heavily on agriculture, featuring fruits, vegetables, wine, and tobacco. Moldova must import all of its supplies of oil, coal, and natural gas, largely from Russia. Energy shortages contributed to sharp production declines after the breakup of the Soviet Union in 1991. As part of an ambitious reform effort, Moldova introduced a convertible currency, freed all prices, stopped issuing preferential credits to state enterprises, backed steady land privatization, removed export controls, and freed interest rates. The government entered into agreements with the World Bank and the IMF to promote growth and reduce poverty. The economy returned to positive growth, of 2.1% in 2000, 6.1% in 2001, 7.2% in 2002, and 5.3% in 2003. Further reforms will come slowly because of strong political forces backing government controls. The economy remains vulnerable to higher fuel prices, poor agricultural weather, and the skepticism of foreign investors.
Electricity - consumption	5.819 billion kWh (2001)	3.216 billion kWh (2001)
Electricity - exports	0 kWh (2001)	0 kWh (2001)
Electricity - imports	0 kWh (2001)	60 million kWh (2001)
Electricity - production	6.257 billion kWh (2001)	3.394 billion kWh (2001)
Electricity - production by source	-	fossil fuel: 90.6% hydro: 9.4% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (2001)
Elevation extremes	lowest point: Persian Gulf 0 m highest point: Jabal ad Dukhan 122 m	lowest point: Dniester River 2 m highest point: Dealul Balanesti 430 m
Environment - current issues	desertification resulting from the degradation of limited arable land, periods of drought, and dust storms; coastal degradation (damage to coastlines, coral reefs, and sea vegetation) resulting from oil spills and other discharges from large tankers, oil refineries, and distribution stations; lack of freshwater resources, groundwater and seawater are the only sources for all water needs	heavy use of agricultural chemicals, including banned pesticides such as DDT, has contaminated soil and groundwater; extensive soil erosion from poor farming methods
Environment - international agreements	party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements	party to: Air Pollution, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands signed, but not ratified: Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants
Ethnic groups	Bahraini 63%, Asian 19%, other Arab 10%, Iranian 8%	Moldovan/Romanian 64.5%, Ukrainian 13.8%, Russian 13%, Jewish 1.5%, Bulgarian 2%, Gagauz and other 5.2% (1989 est.) note: internal disputes with ethnic Slavs in the Transnistrian region
Exchange rates	Bahraini dinars per US dollar - 0.376 (2003), 0.376 (2002), 0.376 (2001), 0.376 (2000), 0.376 (1999)	lei per US dollar - NA (2002), 12.87 (2001), 12.43 (2000), 10.52 (1999), 5.37 (1998)
Executive branch	chief of state: King HAMAD bin Isa Al Khalifa (since 6 March 1999); Heir Apparent Crown Prince SALMAN bin Hamad (son of the monarch, born 21 October 1969) head of government: Prime Minister KHALIFA bin Salman Al Khalifa (since NA 1971) cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the monarch elections: none; the monarchy is hereditary; prime minister appointed by the monarch	chief of state: President Vladimir VORONIN (since 4 April 2001) head of government: Prime Minister Vasile TARLEV (since 15 April 2001), First Deputy Prime Minister Vasile IOVV (since NA 2002), Deputy Prime Minister Stefan ODAGIU (since NA 2002) cabinet: selected by prime minister, subject to approval of Parliament elections: president elected by Parliament for a four-year term; election last held 4 April 2001 (next to be held NA 2005); note - presidential elections were scheduled for December 2000, but in July 2000, Parliament canceled direct, popular elections; Parliament's failure to chose a new president in December 2000 led to early parliamentary elections in February 2001; prime minister designated by the president, upon consultation with Parliament; note - within 15 days from designation, the prime minister-designate must request a vote of confidence from the Parliament regarding his/her work program and entire cabinet; prime minister designated 15 April 2001, cabinet received a vote of confidence 19 April 2001 election results: Vladimir VORONIN elected president; parliamentary votes - Vladimir VORONIN 71, Dumitru BRAGHIS 15, Valerian CHRISTEA 3; Vasile TARLEV designated prime minister; parliamentary votes of confidence - 75 of 101
Exports	NA (2001)	NA (2001)
Exports - commodities	petroleum and petroleum products, aluminum, textiles	foodstuffs, textiles, machinery
Exports - partners	US 3.5%, India 3.3%, South Korea 2.2% (2003)	Russia 35%, Italy 11.7%, Germany 8.8%, Ukraine 8.5%, Romania 5.7%, US 5.2%, Belarus 4.5%, Spain 4.1% (2002)
Fiscal year	calendar year	calendar year
Flag description	red, the traditional color for flags of Persian Gulf states, with a white serrated band (five white points) on the hoist side; the five points represent the five pillars of Islam	same color scheme as Romania - three equal vertical bands of blue (hoist side), yellow, and red; emblem in center of flag is of a Roman eagle of gold outlined in black with a red beak and talons carrying a yellow cross in its beak and a green olive branch in its right talons and a yellow scepter in its left talons; on its breast is a shield divided horizontally red over blue with a stylized ox head, star, rose, and crescent all in black-outlined yellow
GDP	purchasing power parity - $11.29 billion (2003 est.)	purchasing power parity - $11.51 billion (2002 est.)
GDP - composition by sector	agriculture: 0.7% industry: 42.1% services: 57.2% (2003 est.)	agriculture: 28% industry: 23% services: 49% (2000)
GDP - per capita	purchasing power parity - $16,900 (2003 est.)	purchasing power parity - $2,600 (2002 est.)
GDP - real growth rate	4.9% (2003 est.)	6.5% (2002 est.)
Geographic coordinates	26 00 N, 50 33 E	47 00 N, 29 00 E
Geography - note	close to primary Middle Eastern petroleum sources; strategic location in Persian Gulf, through which much of the Western world's petroleum must transit to reach open ocean	landlocked; well endowed with various sedimentary rocks and minerals including sand, gravel, gypsum, and limestone
Heliports	1 (2003 est.)	-
Highways	total: 3,261 km paved: 2,531 km unpaved: 730 km (2000)	total: 12,657 km paved: 11,012 km unpaved: 1,645 km (1999)
Household income or consumption by percentage share	lowest 10%: NA highest 10%: NA	lowest 10%: 2.2% highest 10%: 30.7% (1997)
Illicit drugs	-	limited cultivation of opium poppy and cannabis, mostly for CIS consumption; transshipment point for illicit drugs from Southwest Asia via Central Asia to Russia, Western Europe, and possibly the US; widespread crime and underground economic activity
Imports	NA (2001)	NA (2001)
Imports - commodities	crude oil, machinery, chemicals	mineral products and fuel 32%, machinery and equipment, chemicals, textiles (2000)
Imports - partners	Saudi Arabia 30.7%, US 11.4%, Japan 7.8%, UK 5.7%, Germany 5.4% (2003)	Russia 23.9%, Ukraine 13.4%, Germany 12.6%, Italy 8.3%, Romania 8.2% (2002)
Independence	15 August 1971 (from UK)	27 August 1991 (from Soviet Union)
Industrial production growth rate	2% (2000 est.)	9% (2002 est.)
Industries	petroleum processing and refining, aluminum smelting, offshore banking, ship repairing; tourism	food processing, agricultural machinery, foundry equipment, refrigerators and freezers, washing machines, hosiery, sugar, vegetable oil, shoes, textiles
Infant mortality rate	total: 17.91 deaths/1,000 live births male: 20.93 deaths/1,000 live births female: 14.8 deaths/1,000 live births (2004 est.)	total: 41.58 deaths/1,000 live births male: 44.81 deaths/1,000 live births female: 38.19 deaths/1,000 live births (2003 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices)	-0.2% (2003 est.)	5.5% (2002 est.)
International organization participation	ABEDA, AFESD, AMF, ESCWA, FAO, G-77, GCC, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt (signatory), ICRM, IDB, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, ISO, ITU, LAS, MIGA, NAM, OAPEC, OIC, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO	ACCT, BIS, BSEC, CE, CEI, CIS, EAPC, EBRD, ECE, FAO, GUUAM, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt (signatory), ICFTU, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM (observer), ISO (correspondent), ITU, OPCW, OSCE, PFP, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO
Internet Service Providers (ISPs)	-	2 (1999)
Irrigated land	50 sq km (1998 est.)	3,070 sq km (1998 est.)
Judicial branch	High Civil Appeals Court	Supreme Court; Constitutional Court (the sole authority for constitutional judicature)
Labor force	350,000 note: 44% of the population in the 15-64 age group is non-national (2003 est.)	1.7 million (1998)
Labor force - by occupation	agriculture 1%, industry, commerce, and services 79%, government 20% (1997 est.)	agriculture 40%, industry 14%, services 46% (1998)
Land boundaries	0 km	total: 1,389 km border countries: Romania 450 km, Ukraine 939 km
Land use	arable land: 2.82% permanent crops: 5.63% other: 91.55% (2001)	arable land: 54.08% permanent crops: 12.1% other: 33.82% (1998 est.)
Languages	Arabic, English, Farsi, Urdu	Moldovan (official, virtually the same as the Romanian language), Russian, Gagauz (a Turkish dialect)
Legal system	based on Islamic law and English common law	based on civil law system; Constitutional Court reviews legality of legislative acts and governmental decisions of resolution; it is unclear if Moldova accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction but accepts many UN and Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) documents
Legislative branch	bicameral Parliament consists of Shura Council (40 members appointed by the King) and House of Deputies (40 members directly elected to serve four-year terms) elections: House of Deputies - last held 31 October 2002 (next election to be held NA 2006) election results: House of Deputies - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - independents 21, Sunni Islamists 9, other 10 note: first elections since 7 December 1973; unicameral National Assembly dissolved 26 August 1975; National Action Charter created bicameral legislature on 23 December 2000; approved by referendum 14 February 2001; first legislative session of Parliament held on 25 December 2002	unicameral Parliament or Parlamentul (101 seats; parties and electoral blocs, as well as independent candidates, elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms) elections: last held 25 February 2001 (next to be held NA 2005) election results: percent of vote by party - PCM 50.1%, Braghis Alliance 13.4%, PPCD 8.2%, other parties 28.3%; seats by party - PCM 71, Braghis Alliance 19, PPCD 11
Life expectancy at birth	total population: 73.98 years male: 71.52 years female: 76.51 years (2004 est.)	total population: 64.88 years male: 60.63 years female: 69.35 years (2003 est.)
Literacy	definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 89.1% male: 91.9% female: 85% (2003 est.)	definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 99.1% male: 99.6% female: 98.7% (2003 est.)
Location	Middle East, archipelago in the Persian Gulf, east of Saudi Arabia	Eastern Europe, northeast of Romania
Map references	Middle East	Europe
Maritime claims	territorial sea: 12 nm contiguous zone: 24 nm continental shelf: extending to boundaries to be determined	none (landlocked)
Merchant marine	total: 6 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 219,083 GRT/312,638 DWT by type: bulk 3, container 2, petroleum tanker 1 foreign-owned: Hong Kong 1, Kuwait 1 registered in other countries: 2 (2004 est.)	-
Military branches	Bahrain Defense Forces (BDF): Ground Force (includes Air Defense), Navy, Air Force, National Guard	Ground Forces (includes Air and Air Defense Forces), Republic Security Forces (includes paramilitary Internal Troops and Border Troops)
Military expenditures - dollar figure	$618.1 million (2003)	$6.4 million (FY02)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP	7.5% (2003)	0.4% (FY02)
Military manpower - availability	males age 15-49: 221,661 (2004 est.)	males age 15-49: 1,180,874 (2003 est.)
Military manpower - fit for military service	males age 15-49: 121,484 (2004 est.)	males age 15-49: 936,629 (2003 est.)
Military manpower - military age	-	18 years of age (2003 est.)
Military manpower - reaching military age annually	males: 6,396 (2004 est.)	males: 44,084 (2003 est.)
National holiday	National Day, 16 December (1971); note - 15 August 1971 is the date of independence from the UK, 16 December 1971 is the date of independence from British protection	Independence Day, 27 August (1991)
Nationality	noun: Bahraini(s) adjective: Bahraini	noun: Moldovan(s) adjective: Moldovan
Natural hazards	periodic droughts; dust storms	landslides (57 cases in 1998)
Natural resources	oil, associated and nonassociated natural gas, fish, pearls	lignite, phosphorites, gypsum, arable land, limestone
Net migration rate	1.05 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.)	-0.27 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2003 est.)
Pipelines	gas 20 km; oil 53 km (2004)	gas 606 km (2003)
Political parties and leaders	political parties prohibited but politically oriented societies are allowed	Braghis Alliance [Dumitru BRAGHIS]; Communist Party or PCM [Vladimir VORONIN, first chairman]; Popular Christian Democratic Party or PPCD [Iurie ROSCA]; Social Democratic Union (composed of Braghis Alliance and the Democratic Party of Moldova) [leader NA]
Political pressure groups and leaders	Shi'a activists fomented unrest sporadically in 1994-97, demanding the return of an elected National Assembly and an end to unemployment; several small, clandestine leftist and Islamic fundamentalist groups are active	NA
Population	677,886 note: includes 235,108 non-nationals (July 2004 est.)	4,439,502 (July 2003 est.)
Population below poverty line	NA	80% (2001 est.)
Population growth rate	1.56% (2004 est.)	0.13% (2003 est.)
Ports and harbors	Manama, Mina' Salman, Sitrah	none
Radio broadcast stations	AM 2, FM 3, shortwave 0 (1998)	AM 7, FM 50, shortwave 3 (1998)
Railways	-	total: 1,300 km broad gauge: 1,300 km 1.520-m gauge (2002)
Religions	Shi'a Muslim 70%, Sunni Muslim 30%	Eastern Orthodox 98%, Jewish 1.5%, Baptist and other 0.5% (2000)
Sex ratio	at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.02 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.41 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 1.05 male(s)/female total population: 1.27 male(s)/female (2004 est.)	at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.92 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.59 male(s)/female total population: 0.91 male(s)/female (2003 est.)
Suffrage	18 years of age; universal	18 years of age; universal
Telephone system	general assessment: modern system domestic: modern fiber-optic integrated services; digital network with rapidly growing use of mobile cellular telephones international: country code - 973; tropospheric scatter to Qatar and UAE; microwave radio relay to Saudi Arabia; submarine cable to Qatar, UAE, and Saudi Arabia; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (1 Atlantic Ocean and 1 Indian Ocean) and 1 Arabsat (1997)	general assessment: inadequate, outmoded, poor service outside Chisinau; some effort to modernize is under way domestic: new subscribers face long wait for service; mobile cellular telephone service being introduced international: service through Romania and Russia via landline; satellite earth stations - Intelsat, Eutelsat, and Intersputnik
Telephones - main lines in use	185,800 (2003)	627,000 (1997)
Telephones - mobile cellular	443,100 (2003)	2,200 (1997)
Television broadcast stations	4 (1997)	1 (plus 30 repeaters) (1995)
Terrain	mostly low desert plain rising gently to low central escarpment	rolling steppe, gradual slope south to Black Sea
Total fertility rate	2.67 children born/woman (2004 est.)	1.74 children born/woman (2003 est.)
Unemployment rate	15% (1998 est.)	8% (roughly 25% of working age Moldovans are employed abroad) (2002 est.)
Waterways	-	424 km (1994)

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